Serra. LXXIL Rich Man, and Lazarus, the Power of God's Anger, and the utmoft of what Omnipotent Juftice can do to Sinners ? For as ,the Glory of Heaven, and the Joys of God's Pretence are now inconceivable ; fo likewife are the Torments of Hell, and the Miferies of the Damned. Eye bath not feen, nor Ear heard, neither have entred into the Heart of Man, thofe dreadful things which God prepares for them that hatehim. Who can imagine the utmoft figniicancy of thofe Phrafes which the Scripture ufes to fet forth this to us, of God's being a confuming Fire, of being tormented in Flames, of God's Wrath and 3ealoufiefmoaking againft Sinners, and all the Curies that are written in his Book, falling upon them ? Who can conceive the Horror of thofe Expreffions, of the Worm that dies not, and the Fire that is not quenched, of God's pouring out the Vials of his Wrath, of being de/iver'dover to theTormentor, of being thrufi into utter Darknefs, of being raft into the Lake of Fire and Brimflone ? Thefe forms of Speech feem to be borrowed from thofe things whichamong Men are molt dreadful and affrighting ; and to be calculated and accommodated to our Capacities, and not fo much intended to exprefs to us the proper and real Tor- ments of Hell, as to convey to us in a more fenfible and affecting manner the fenfe of what the Scripture fags in general, that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Ver. 25. But Abraham faid, Son, remember that thou in thy life time receivedit thy good things, and likewife Lazarus evil things : but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. Abraham faid, Son, remember. It is very obfervable, how out Saviour chufes to reprefent to us the difcourfe between Abraham and the Rich Man ; tho' there was the greateft difference between them imaginable, the one was in Heaven, and the other in Hell, yet they treatedone another civilly. Abra- ham is brought in giving the common terms of Civility to this wretched wicked Man, and calling him Son ; Son, remember. It was indeed a very fevere thing which he Paid to him, he put him in mind of his former Profperity ; and of his Fault in his unmerciful Ufage of Lazarus ; Remember, Son, that thou in thy life time receivedit thy good things, and Lazarus, &c. But yet whilft he fpeaks filch fharp things to him, he bates bad Language. A Man may fay very fevere things, where a juft Occafion requires it ; but he mutt ufe no reviling ; rem ipfam die, mitte male loqui, fay the thing, but ufe no bad Language. And this, as one Pays, is the true art of Chiding, the proper Stile wherein we mutt ufe to reprove. If we do it with Malice, and Anger, andContempt, it is misbecoming, even the.' we defpair of doing good : but if we hope for any good Effeft, we are like to mifs of it this way ; for as the Apoftle Pays excellently, the wrath of Man worketh not the righteoufnefs of God. Some think that Abraham gives the Rich Man the Title of Son ironically, and by way of Jeer : but without all reafon. For furely there is not fo much bad Nature in Heaven, as to fcoffat thofe who are in Mifery. Befides that, we find our Saviour obferving this Decorum of good Language in other of his Parables; as-particularly, in that of the King who invited Gueffs to the Marriage of his Son, Matth. 2z. a t. When the King taw there the Man, that came without his Wedding Garment, tho' he paff a very levere Sentence upon him, yet he gives hint the common terms of Civility ; Friend, how camefi thou hither ? This Mould teach us Chrifians, howwe ought to demean our felves towards thofe who are at the greateft diftance from us, and how we ought to behave our felves towards one another in the greaten Differences ofReligion. None Pure can be at greater diffanèe than Abraham in Paradife, and the Rich Man in hell ; and yet. our Saviour would not reprefent them as at terms of Defiance with one anti- then One might have expe&ed that Abraham fbould have reviled this poor Wretch, and difdain'd to have fpoken to him : But this is not the Temper of Heaven, not ought it tobe of good Men upon Earth, even towards the worn of Men. How does this condemn our Rudenefs and Impatience with one another : in our religious Differences ! we thinkno Terms bad enough to ufe towards one another and yet one ofthe molt famous Difputes that we find mentioned in Scripture, and that between the molt oppofite Parties that can be imagined, was managed af- ter another Fashion. ; I mean that recorded by St, 7ude between Michael the -r Arch- Angel, 535
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=