hearts for that which is highly es- | and earth to pass, than one tittle of teemed among men, is abomination the law to fail. in the sight of God. 16 The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. 17 And it is easier for heaven mission, they must observe the rules he had just given. They might deride and mock now; but when the legal dispensation should cease, ver. 16, and they should be excluded from the kingdom, ver. 19-31, they would then find it was no subject of derision, but a fearful reality. 16. See notes on Matt. xi. 12, 13. The special design of this declaration was to assure the Pharisees that the time was at hand: they might not safely delay their preparation for the approaching change; already was the kingdom of God preached; it was at hand; its establishment should be witnessed by some then living, Matt. xvi. 27, 28; as many as entered it should be safe; but its rejecters and deriders should endure such tribulation as had no parallel in all time; and this too should come upon that very generation, Matt. xxiv. 21-35. 17. See note on Matt. v. 18. Whether or not our Lord had special reference to the fact, it is worthy of observation that in the law it is written, "I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken to my words, which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him." Deut. xviii. 18, 19. See also Mal. iv. 1. These were among the things which should not fail. The law should not utterly pass until its denunciations were accomplished. And this period was even now at hand. 18. See note on Matt. v. 32. By this figure, our Lord taught the Pharisees, that it was idle for them to expect safety, on account of their scrupulous observance of the ceremonial law. Matt. xxiii. 23. It was proper to observe the law, while it continued in force; it would have been sinful not to do so. But when the law was abolished, 18 Whosoever putteth away his wife and marrieth another, committeth adultery; and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband, committeth adultery. 19 There was a certain rich all further connexion with it was adulterous. What God joins, none may innocently separate; what he separates, none may innocently reünite. The same figure is used by the apostle, to show that the claims of the law were abolished, Rom. vii. 1-3. The Pharisees might not expect, by cleaving to a dead law, to escape the calamity figuratively represented in the parable which follows; they thus increased, instead of diminishing, their guilt and danger. Their only safety, so far as it was in their power, consisted in a prompt and hearty obedience to the directions to which they had listened with scorn and derision. 19-31. The parable contained in these verses, by most commentators, is supposed to teach and illustrate the strict eternity of hell-torments. But some, even among those who believed in such torments, have acknowledged that our Lord intended here to represent the rejection of the Jews and the gathering of the Gentiles. See Selections, sect. xlix. It has been suggested, that this is not a parable, but a veritable history, because Luke does not expressly call it a parable. But this opinion is so little entitled to consideration, that it is treated with utter contempt by a commentator, whose equal for Jewish learning the Gentile world has seldom known." Whoever believes this not to be a parable, but a true story, let him believe also those little friars, whose trade it is to show the monuments at Jerusalem to pilgrims, and point exactly to the place where the house of the 'rich glutton' stood. Most accurate keepers of antiquity, indeed! who, after so many hundred of years, such overthrows of Jerusalem, such devastations and changes, can rake out of the rubbish the place of so private a house, and such a one too that never had any being, but merely in parable. And that it was a parable, not only the consent of all expositors may assure us, but the man, which was clothed in purple | and fine linen, and fared sumptu thing itself speaks it. The main scope and design of it seems this,-to hint the destruction of the unbelieving Jews, who, though they had Moses and the prophets, did not believe them, nay, would not believe, though one (even Jesus) arose from the dead. For that conclusion of the parable abundantly evidenceth what it aimed at: 'If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one arose from the dead.""Light foot. receive attention in the notes. In general terms, I suppose the rich man represents the Jewish nation; his sustenance and apparel being characteristic of his wealth, but not necessarily indicating any peculiarity in their condition. Lazarus represents the Gentile world, whose spiritual poverty, and dependence on the Jews for the little true religious knowledge they possessed, are indicated by his utter destitution and beggary. The death of Lazarus, ver. 22, may represent a great change in the condition of the Gentiles; but I rather regard it as imagery corresponding with the death of the rich man, which is significative; or designed to prepare the way for speaking of him as in Abraham's bosom, which doubtless represents an important change in their condition. The death of the rich man, ver. 22, represents the overturning of the Jewish polity, by the abrogation of the law and the loss of This parable appears to be intimately connected with the preceding portion of the chapter, and, as I have already remarked, to be the counterpart of the parable in ver. 1-8. Jesus referred to a very great change, which was about to occur, in the condition of the Jewish people, equivalent to the discharge of the steward from office and his exposure to utter destitution and misery. He instructed his disciples how they might provide for their own safety and happi-national privileges. The torments of ness, and attain admission to the king- the rich man and the peaceful condition dom of heaven. The Pharisees, who of Lazarus, ver. 23, represent the same heard him, treated the whole matter state of things which is expressed in with derision, ver. 14. Jesus assured other terms, in Luke xiii. 28, 29; namethem that their danger was not imag-ly, the reception of the Gentiles into inary but actual; that their gilded hypocrisy would not shield them from it, for God knew their wickedness, ver. 15; that legal and ceremonial observances would not protect them, for the law was superseded by the new dispensation, ver. 16; and, indeed, that by rejecting the gospel and cleaving to the law, they increased their guilt, becoming like him who married a woman who had been put away from her husband, ver. 18. He then proceeded, by a parable, to describe the condition which awaited them, as the penalty of their unbelief and ungodliness, contrasting it with the condition of them who observed his directions and were admitted into the kingdom of God. Such I suppose to be the general design and the pervading idea of this parable. The imagery is sufficiently descriptive, to express the principal features of the facts illustrated; yet much of it I regard as mere imagery, no more requiring a particular application than the fatted calf and the kid, in the parable of the prodigal. The portions which seem to require such application will the gospel kingdom, and the rejection of the Jews, and their consequent misery. The request of the rich man to Abraham for assistance, and his denial, ver. 24, 25, may represent the vain efforts of the Jews to obtain support and comfort from their law, now superseded by the gospel; or it may be designed merely to add vividness to the picture of their misery. Abraham's remark, that the condition of the two parties was reversed, may be understood as illustrative of the fact mentioned by the apostle, Rom. xi. 30, 31. Each, in his turn, enjoyed the blessing; and each, in his turn, was destitute of it. Yet God was impartial, both in this dispensation of privileges, and in the consequences which should ensue. The great gulf, ver. 26, represents the impassable barrier, occasioned by the stubborn unbelief of the Jews. After they had rejected the divine evidence afforded by miracles which Jesus wrought in their presence, attributing them to diabolical rather than divine power, there remained no further evidence by which the minds of that stiff ously every day : 20 And there was a certain beg necked people could be convinced of the and establish some important fact or doctruth. Our Lord often warned them, trine."- Whittemore, on Par., pp. 210, that the period was approaching, after 211. This is an important observation, which they might not expect to obtain which should not be overlooked. The admission to his kingdom. See Luke following bears upon the same point :-A xiii. 24-27. The conversation respect- parable" is a narrative of some fictitious ing the condition of the five brethren, or real event, in order to illustrate more ver. 27-30, may be regarded as intro- clearly some truth that the speaker wishductory or preparatory to what follows, ed to communicate. It is not necesrather than as requiring particular ap- sary to suppose that the narratives were plication to any individuals. The final strictly true. The main thing, the inremark, ver. 31, that not even the res- culcation of spiritual truth,-was gained urrection of one from the dead would equally, whether it was true, or was convince those who resisted the testi- only a supposed case. Nor was there mony of Moses and the prophets, is any dishonesty in this. It was well strikingly illustrative of the mental and understood. No person was deceived. moral condition of the Jews, who, hav- The speaker was not understood to ing failed to be convinced by Moses affirm the thing literally narrated, but and the prophets that Jesus was the only to fix the attention more firmly on Messiah, having also hardened their the moral truth that he presented."hearts against the evidence arising from Barnes. In conformity with these miracles, continued in unbelief, even judicious remarks, we are not to underafter the resurrection of the Lord Jesus stand our Lord to affirm the actual Christ was proclaimed among them and occurrence of the events narrated in this proved beyond reasonable doubt. The parable, or the correctness of the fancies result of the whole matter, therefore, which the Jews had imbibed, respecting illustrated by this parable, is, that the the condition of men in the future life. kingdom of God was to be transferred His object was equally gained, whether from the Jews to the Gentiles; that these things were actually true or false. this transfer would occasion disappoint- It was not his design, to expound or ment and misery to the Jewish nation; illustrate the condition of the rich and that all efforts, on their part, to obtain poor, the vicious and virtuous, the stubrelief, out of the kingdom, would be un-born unbeliever and willing convert, in availing; and that when thus shut out for their unbelief, their exclusion as a nation must long endure, from the very nature of the case, inasmuch as no stronger evidence could be presented to their minds than that which had already been presented and rejected. Before dismissing the subject, it seems proper to notice a peculiarity in the imagery here employed. It is borrow ed from the opinions of the heathen concerning hades, or the invisible world, the state of the dead, which the Jews, in the time of our Saviour's ministry, had in part imbibed. In its character as a parable, this differs from none other in the New Testament, except in the fact now named, namely, that the imagery is principally drawn, not from the things of this world, but from the fabled regions of Tartarus and Elysium. It is the case in all parables, that the object is not to magnify and set up the circumstance which makes the image or similitude; but, by the use of that, to illustrate hades; but he used this imagery to convey instruction, in a vivid manner, upon a different subject. And in so doing, he did not practise deception; for he was not understood to affirm the thing literally narrated. The futile objection, sometimes urged, that every figure must be drawn from some corresponding reality, and that this parable must therefore be understood to imply though it may not affirm, the truth of the opinions from which its imagery is taken, may be sufficiently answered by a reference to the earliest parable on record, Judg. ix. 8-15. I will not assume to affix limits to almighty power; but I think there can be no irreverence in believing most firmly that God never did and never will cause trees to speak, and elect for themselves kings. The terms of Jotham's parable, however, are quite as positive as any which occur in that now under consideration; and I see no more necessity for understanding the speaker to "affirm the thing literally 19. A certain rich man. This figure was naturally suggested by the previous conversation. In chap. xiv., we find Jesus addressing the Jews, as rich men, and instructing them how to gain admission to the gospel kingdom, by weaning their affections from worldly wealth. Having replied, ch. xv., to their murmurs respecting the character of his disciples, he resumed the same subject, ver. 1, of which subject this parable forms the natural conclusion. Purple and fine linen. Such apparel as only the rich could procure. The purple has been supposed to indicate the political power of the Jews, being the color of royalty, and the fine linen the ecclesiastical, being worn by the priests; but perhaps it was designed only as descriptive of riches, to complete the picture. Fared sumptuously. Lived in a luxurious manner. 20. Beggar. Rather, poor man. The word in the original does not mean one who obtained sustenance by begging; but only a poor person, in contrast with the rich man before named. Lazarus. Some have supposed a reference was here covertly made to the Lazarus whom Jesus raised from the dead; see ver. 31. But this name, like many other Hebrew names, was significant, meaning a poor person, and was probably adopted merely as a descriptive epithet. T Laid at his gate. Placed near the door, so that he might be seen and relieved by the rich man; a custom which prevailed in the East. Full of sores. It seems unnecessary to spiritualize such an expression, which may rather be regarded as thrown in, to give completeness to a description of poverty. 21. Desiring to be fed, &c. The original word has been said to denote | the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. delighting, rather than desiring. And doubts have been expressed, whether the rich man failed in the performance of the duties of hospitality. Campbell has a long critical note, designed to show that the rich man was not culpable in this matter. The general scope of the parable, however, seems to denote our Lord's intention to represent the rich man as uncharitable, and his subsequent misery as the result of his inordinate attachment to wealth. It must be remembered, that the parable is designed to illustrate the admission of the Gentiles into the kingdom of God, and the rejection of the Jews. By recurring to our Lord's language on this subject, it will be seen that he often, almost uniformly, required an abandonment of wealth for the relief of the poor, as an essential pre-requisite for admission to his kingdom. See Luke x. 25-28, and the succeeding parable, 29-37; xii. 31-33; xiv. 12-14, 33; xvi. 9, and the note; xviii. 18-25. It may appear too much like a mixed metaphor, to suppose the literally poor, in general, and the spiritually poor Gentiles, in particular, are represented by Lazarus; nevertheless, I am inclined to believe that such is the fact. The covetous and ambitious desires of the Jews, their inordinate craving for wealth and temporal honor and glory, constituted one of the principal obstacles which prevented them from receiving Jesus as the Messiah. He required humility and universal love; neither of which could they find in their hearts. He required them to dispose of their wealth for the relief of the poor, as a test of discipleship; this they refused to do, stood aloof from him, persisted in their opposition, and were thrust out of his kingdom. The parable seems to recognize these facts; and, if so, to intimate that Lazarus received less assistance from the rich man, than the spirit of true discipleship would have prompted. The dogs came and licked his sores. This circumstance renders the picture of poverty and destitution more vivid; the relief which his own species neglected to afford was administered by affectionate brutes. So far as this applies to the condition of the 22 And it came to pass, that the | Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in beggar died, and was carried by his bosom. the angels into Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried: 23 And in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Gentiles, it affords a most gloomy view of their moral degradation and spiritual poverty and helplessness. 22. The beggar died. As I have already remarked, I consider this to be thrown in chiefly, to preserve harmony in the imagery, and to prepare for what follows. It may be, however, that the death of Lazarus was designed to represent the transition of the Gentiles, from the outer darkness in which they! had dwelt, into the glorious kingdom of the Redeemer; a change not inaptly compared to the passage from a state of destitution and distress into Elysium. Carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. Introduced into the kingdom of heaven, by the ministry of the apostolical messengers or angels; represented, according to the general imagery of the parable, by a phrase common among the Jews. "Of R. Judah, when he died, they said, this day he sits in Abraham's bosom."-Whitby. Similar phrases are elsewhere used to denote the admission of the Gentiles into the kingdom of heaven, as established on the earth. Matt. viii. 11. The rich man also died, and was buried. This denotes the final act of exclusion against the unhappy race of the Jews; the same event which is frequently described by shutting the door against them, and refusing to open it again for their admission, as in Luke xiii. 25-29. They were thenceforth, as a nation, as effectually cut off from the privileges of the gospel, as the literally dead from the enjoyments of the present life. The absolute hopelessness of their condition, in this respect, is indicated by the additional remark, that he was buried, 23. In hell. Some join these words with the foregoing verse: reading, he was buried in hell, or in the grave. But no apparent advantage results from this change of pointing the passage. It is rendered no more clear, so far as I can see, nor is its meaning thereby essentially changed. For the general meaning of hades, (adns,) here rendered hell, 24 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, and cool my tongue : for I am torment see note on Matt. xi. 23. There can be no question, that, from whatever source the imagery may have been drawn, the rich man is represented as miserable, and Lazarus happy. If, as is probable, it was drawn from the heathen fable, transplanted into Jewish soil, then Abraham's bosom stands for Elysium, in the narrative, and the rich man occupies that portion of hades called Tartarus. At the least, one was comforted, but the other tormented. T Being in torments. The heathens supposed the wicked were tormented in Tartarus. Figuratively, this denotes the same torment which is elsewhere expressed by weeping and gnashing of teeth. See notes on Matt. viii. 11, 12. ¶ Lazarus in his bosom. This expression may be regarded as identical with that used in Matt. viii. 11, (see the note,) where it is said that the Gentiles shall sit, or rather recline, with Abraham at the gospel feast, or in the kingdom of heaven. In the Jewish manner of reclining at table, resting on the left elbow, one might properly be said to recline in the bosom of another. Thus John is represented as leaning on Jesus' bosom," John xiii. 23, while both were evidently reclining at table. The idea, conveyed under this imagery, is, that the Gentiles were admitted into the kingdom. 24. In this verse, the misery of the rich man, previously indicated by the general term torments, is further denoted by a particular specification of fire. This fully accords with the heathen opinions of torment in Tartarus; for they believed that literal fire would be employed, and that the bodies of the wicked should suffer its fury. Hence the rich man desires water to cool his tongue. I think few will be disposed to interpret this literally; yet there is just as much reason to do so, as for thus interpreting any part of the parable. If Jesus vouched for the truth of the fable generally, by employing it as the imagery of a parable, just as certainly he vouched for the truth of every par |