The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1906, Page 42

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42

The Lutheran Pioneer.

shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no
more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the
sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb
which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them,
and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters ;
and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes,”

Rev. 7, 14—17.
* * *

The name of the other beggar is not given. He
belonged to the wicked, and “the name of the wicked
shall rot,” Proy. 10, 7. In this world he was a rich
man, and was “clothed in purple and fine linen,
and fared sumptuously every day.” His path in
life was the flowery path of earthly joys and worldly
pleasures. But it had a sad ending. “The rich
man also died, and was buried; and in hell he
lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth
Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 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
tormented in this flame.” The rich man has be-
come a beggar, begging for a drop of water. And
his begging is in vain. He is told that between the
blessed in heaven and the damned in hell there is
a great gulf fixed which can never be passed. His
punishment is without relief and without end.

* Dreadful change! From the riches and luxuries
of earth to the everlasting poverty and want of
hell! From the joys and pleasures of this world
to eternal tortures and pains in the place of tor-
ment, where “the fire is never quenched.” .

How did the rich man come into that place of
torment? It was not simply because he was rich.
No. There are children of God and heirs of salva-
tion also among the rich, like Abraham, and Job,
and David, and many others. From the Bible we
know that the sin of unbelief brings men into ever-
lasting damnation. It is written: “He that he-
lieveth not shall be damned.” And again: “He that
believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath
of God abideth on him.” ‘The rich man was an
unbeliever, rejecting the Word of God and the sal-

‘vation which it brings. This is clearly seen from
his own confession in hell. He asks that Lazarus

be sent to warn his five brethren. And when told:
“They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear
them,” he still insisted that if one were sent to
them from the dead they would repent. He did not
think God’s Word sufficient. He himself had had
that Word in his lifetime, but had rejected it in his
unbelief. His way of living had simply been the

fruit of that unbelief. He had lived only for this
world. He had had no love for God and his neigh-
bor, but had set his heart on the “good things” of
the earth. He had cared only for himself and had
had no sympathy with the suffering poor, no mercy
for the sick and the needy. His life had been the
life of an unbeliever who rejects God’s Word which
offers the only remedy for sin. So he had died in
his sins and received the wages of sin, which is
eternal death. THis unbelief had brought him to
hell, into the company of those of whom it is
written: “The smoke of their torment ascendeth
up forever and ever; and they have no rest day nor
night,” Rey. 14, 11.
a * Eo

Dear reader, we have God’s Word, in which
Jesus and His salvation is offered to sinners. Do
not reject that Word by unbelief. One thing is
needful—the salvation of your soul. It is in-
finitely better to be a beggar on earth and to rest
in your Father’s bosom hereafter, than to be rich
on earth and to become a hopeless beggar in hell
forever. Better to beg bread for a little while on
earth, like Lazarus, than to beg water forever in
hell, like the rich man.

oe

‘What Will the People Say?’’

“T know,” said a Bengalee woman to a mis-
sionary, “that it is wrong to pray to idols of mud
and wood; but if I stopped doing so, what will
other people say ?”

There are professed Christians who are like that
heathen woman. They know that certain things
are wrong, but they do them, because they are ruled
in their actions by the thought: “What will the
people say?” ‘They care more for the opinion of
the people than for the opinion of God, more for
the favor of men than for the favor of their Lord.
They fear man more than God. But we should
fear God above all things. Christ says: “Fear not
them which kill the body, but are not able to kill
the soul; but rather fear Him which is able to de-
stroy both body and soul in hell,” Matt. 10, 37.

. ¢

God Hears All Our Words.

A profane coachman, pointing to one of his
horses, said to a traveler:

“That horse, sir, knows when I swear at him.”

“Yes,” replied the traveler, “and so does his
Maker!”