to make him splendid and comfortable. Nor was he only rich, and thus grand and princely in his apparel, but "he fared sumptuously every day." He had not often his table spread with delicacies, but always. Every day the fat of the land, the most precious fruits, the daintiest victuals came before him. Nor was he alone, his five brethren lived the same luxurious and high life; they had doubtless the best company, and plenty of wine, and drank strong drinks out of cups of silver and gold. All round waited their servants, and subjects, and dancing, and music, and merry discourse passed their many days and nights away pleasantly. Had one seen them singing over their bowls of rich wines, or wantonly sporting with harlots, without care, without bounds to their excess and pleasures, high with honour and respect, full of mirth, and loaded with riches, one might have thought, how happy is this rich man in his company! No doubt he had heard the law, for he was a child of Abraham; he had been sometimes present when the prophets were read, but it had no great effect upon him; perhaps he had rode in his chariot certain days, and frequented thus the temple and synagogues out of fashion, or to divert away a spare hour, but his heart was untouched with any thing he heard; perhaps the priests whom he chose to hear, prophesied smooth things, and he liked to have it so. He contemned the mopes in religion, and such as were devoted to sacred things, as half mad men, melancholy, persons of no taste, and enthusiasts, and would not be such a fool to let overmuch religion destroy him.

In short, he seemed at first view to be a vessel of honour, and highly favoured, a man whom heaven had blessed, and to whom God had opened his hand and been doubly liberal. There are thousands who

have wished to be thus happy, and perhaps many of us now present can lay our hand on our heart and say, I am the man.

In the same city, and in the same country with this great man, was "a certain poor person, a beggar named Lazarus, who lay at the rich man's gate full of sores, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table," who had no friends or company, excepting the dogs who came and licked his sores Behold one as miserable as the other was happy! He seemed to be neglected by all his fellow-creatures, and an out-cast of the God of nature, a vessel of disgrace and dishonour. He had no respectable and wealthy friends, but was left an orphan, and exposed to the piercing afflictions of want and poverty. He had no house, but lay at the gate of Dives; had no bed but the ground; was sick and full of wounds, and had no physician, no comfortable cordial, no plaister, no friend or pitying neighbour. While the one in the house rolled in plenty, he languished with hunger, and all his moans and cries, though only for "the crumbs which fell from the table, were unheard and unregarded. He had no cloaths but rags, so that the cold pinched him without, and hunger and sickness within. Instead of pitying the poor beggar, it seems as if those of the house had set the dogs at him to drive him from the door, who were more merciful than their master, they licked his sores." This was all the ease and comfort he had; and thus between sickness, hunger, and nakedness he was worn out, and at last died.

All that passed by him must surely have felt a certain chill and horror at the sight of his wretched corpse, and esteemed his end miserable. It is likely his bones were laid in some ditch, or buried among dunghills, and to all outward appearance one should

have concluded, this man lived and died unhappy to the last degree; but therein, such as judged after a human way would have been sadly mistaken, that poor man was at peace with God, he had made a blessed use of his affliction, out of the deep of it he had cried to the Lord and was heard, he had made his part sure in the book of life, and in the favour of the Lord his God. It is true, he had little or none of the good things of this world, his eyes had been often red with weeping, and his poor heart inured to distress and sighing, but he had obtained the love of God, and knew his Redeemer lived; this comforted him till the angel of death released him, and he died. There was then an end to his penury and needs; all the tears were wiped away from his eyes, all sorrow left his aching heart; his sickness sunk his spirits and weighed him down no more; no more his wounds and sores smarted, nor his hunger pinched his poor carcase; he heard no more the menaces and threatenings of such as would not relieve him; no, all was over now and the angels carried him to Abraham's bosom." While his body was finding a rest in some nasty but quiet spot, the blessed spirits who stood round him as he died, and who waited for the appointed moment, now sung him up to the paradise of God. How sweet was heaven to his weary soul! how sweet, how transporting the kingdom to him, who had been a beggar and the outcast of all the world! He could not any more weep at his hard lot, or sigh that he had been so poor; he rather could adore before the throne that he had been afflicted, and saved from "trusting to uncertain riches," and weaned from the world, and that a better portion had been designed for him by his merciful Creator. O how must he bless the wisdom of God, and his unsearchable goodness in saving him, and for changing

M 3

changing his want to eternal riches, his rags to God's righteousness, his dunghill to a throne, and his poor troublesome life to a life eternal! Instead of dogs to lick his sores, angels attend him and hail him to his thrice-blessed home and harbour, where he shall rest for ever and ever!

But now we will leave him in his glory and return to the rich glutton in his pomp and splendor, "who also died and was buried." All his gold and silver could not purchase him a renewal, or longer term of life; he died, and left all his companions, his costly furniture, his fine raiment, and plentiful table; he died and went into another state, whither his gold could not be carried, "neither could bis pomp follow him." There is no mention made of the beggar's funeral, it was too mean and insignificant to notice; if he was not cast out into the open fields to the beasts and birds of prey, it is likely, as I before observed, he was buried with the burial of an ass; but Dives was buried: He, no doubt, was laid in state, and his hearse attended with mourners, and such as 'were skilful in lamentation, and in solemn magnificence interred in the sepulchres of his fathers; but O! while his brethren and friends were bearing their once rich brother with such splendor to the grave, his soul sunk down to hell," and in hell he lifted up his eyes being in torments, and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom." Amazing change! his pleasures are turned to torments, his riches to eternal wants, his scarlet and purple robes to purple and scarlet flames of fire, his bowls of new wine to insatiable thirst, his musick to howlings, his fine house to the bottomless pit, his brethren and merry company to devils and wicked spirits. "He lifted up his eyes," but saw no more grandeur and delicate things; he should have opened them before, and have seen the

1

things that made for his peace, but now they were hid from him, he opened his eyes too late. It is true, he saw Abraham and Lazarus in glory, but it was afar off; yes, there he saw the same beggar he suffered to perish without mercy at his gate; he saw him now in the bosom of the friend of God; he beheld him who was once unworthy his notice, sitting among the favourites of the God of Abra ham; and he who had scarce any covering, while Dives wallowed in riches and was cloathed with purple and fine linen, now was cloathed with the white and fine linen, which is the righteousness of the saints, and in which they stand without spot before the throne. He had not minded his cries once, but now he cries for his help; and he cried and said, "Father Abraham, have mercy upon 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." He perhaps had never prayed before, and now prays when it is too late, but he prayed to Abraham. It is the only prayer in the scripture made to the saints, and is a prayer made in vain. He called Abraham, father, but found it not avail to have had believing or good parents, without having their experience of the love of God, and trod the steps of the faith of Abraham. No more strong drink and new wine refreshed him; he begs not a drop of water, but less if possible, for he prays only that "Lazarus might dip the tip of his finger in water to cool his tongue.' See how he intreats mercy from him to whom he would shew no mercy! Thus shall it be in the day when Jesus comes; then the despised and persecuted few, who loved him in the world, and who for his sake were hated, abused, slandered, reviled, and as it were, "killed all the day long," shall be honourable in their sight who slighted and used them ill. They shall then worship

at