THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS.
In order to explain to his disciples that there were two worlds for souls, Jesus once told them this story:—“There was a rich man who wore elegant clothing and lived richly every day. There was a poor, sick beggar, named Lazarus, lying at his gate. He wanted the crumbs which were left from the rich man’s table. His body was full of sores, and the dogs used to come and lick them. One day this poor man died, but God sent his angels and carried him to heaven. Then the rich man died, and was buried. His soul went to hell. One day, while he was in that place of pain and torment, he looked up, and away off he saw heaven, and Lazarus the beggar was there, with his head on Abraham’s bosom. He called to him: ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame.’ But Abraham said: ‘Son, remember that while you were living you had plenty of good things, while Lazarus suffered at your gate. Now he is happy, and you are suffering. And, besides, there is a great gulf between you and us, so that if we wanted to come to you we could not; neither can you come here from that place.’ Then the rich man said, ‘I pray you send him to my father’s house to tell my five brothers about this dreadful place, so they need not come here.’ But Abraham said, ‘Why, they have the story of that place. Moses wrote about it, and the Prophets wrote about it; let them read it.’ But the rich man said, ‘O, Father Abraham, if one went back to them from the dead, they would repent.’ ‘No,’ said Abraham, ‘if they will not believe God’s own word, as Moses and the Prophets wrote it in the Bible, neither would they believe if one went to them from the dead.’”
LAZARUS AT THE RICH MAN’S DOOR.—Luke xvi. 19.